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Sen. Schumer calls for
Mahmood's release
NEW YORK
-- Within days of a rally at the Buffalo Federal Detention Center in Batavia in
support of Ansar Mahmood, U.S. Sen. Charles E. Schumer has added his voice to
the growing chorus of elected officials calling for the Hudson man's release.
In an
interview broadcast Tuesday night, Schumer, D-N.Y., told reporter Gabe Pressman
of WNBC New York, he believes Mahmood should be freed "on humanitarian
grounds."
Schumer
said he will ask American immigration authorities to release Mahmood on
"humanitarian parole" and plans to write a letter urging that course
of action by the end of this week, after he checks out every last fact.
"I'm about 90 percent there," he said.
"He's
not involved in terrorism at all and probably should never have pled guilty to
helping out his friend, but he did make a mistake and he served his time.
"They
[the people of Hudson] love him -- they really do -- and he's worked hard. He's
part of the American dream," Schumer said.
Learning
of Schumer's statement, Susan Davies, of the Mahmood Legal Defense Committee
said, "We are delighted to have Sen. Schumer as an ally in our work for
Ansar. We believe he is highly respected by immigration authorities."
Mahmood
is a 26-year-old native and citizen of Pakistan. He was admitted as a lawful
permanent resident of the United States on April 22, 2000. He then settled in
Hudson and found a job.
In
October 2001 he aroused the suspicions of a security guard when he asked his
picture be taken in front of the Hudson water treatment plant. Mahmood was
arrested by local police and soon cleared of any possible connection to
terrorist activities. But a search of his home revealed he had co-signed an
apartment lease for a Pakistani couple who had overstayed their visas.
It was
also found he registered a car for them under his name, and helped them obtain
jobs at Domino's Pizza, where he was a delivery man. As a result, Mahmood was
charged with harboring an illegal alien and subsequently entered a plea of
guilty on the advice of his public defender.
The INS
ordered him deported on July 17, 2002. He has been detained in the Batavia
facility for more than two years.
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